Rockstar isn't saying much about GTA IV's exclusive Xbox 360 DLC (rumoured to have cost MS upwards of $50m), but the first hints on what we might be able to expect from the downloadable 'episodes' have finally emerged, in the latest issue of Edge magazine.
Speaking to Edge in its massive behind the scenes GTA feature (we almost got our wages docked reading it), Rockstar boss Sam Houser hints that the 360 download content might take the form of random missions, thought it's all dependent on the reaction of fans, he says.
"In the game, you might be walking around and then someone will come up to you and say something like, 'Hey, I need your help', and you'll be like, 'What? This isn't a story mission', and he'll be like, 'You see that room up there? That's my wife and she's f***ing some bloke, and I need you to go and do...' and this little story will unfold from there just randomly," Houser told Edge.
"The opportunity for things like that [with DLC] I would say is enormous. Really, though, for the downloadable content in general, it's about seeing how people get turned on by the game, and then we will tailor the production."
It might not sound like exactly what we were expecting for Microsoft's (alleged) $50m tag, but Houser promises that even if it does come in the from of a mission pack, the 360 DLC will still be "substantial".
"I think the mission packs with the episodes are going to be pretty deep, offering another full-on adventure in this world," he told Edge. "I think we will be in a position to market them not a million miles away from the way the boxed game is marketed."
Assuming people like the game then Houser's sense is that they'll probably like the episodes too, he says.
"And if they like the episodes it will probably make sense to market them aggressively, and we want people to be there on that first day as much as is realistic. Our goal will be to fry those Xbox Live servers - we want to have as many people tune in at that moment as possible."
Don't worry though, the marketing budget isn't going to spawn from your Microsoft Points: "You'll get a lot of content for your money," says Houser. "There are too many stories at the moment of people having the feeling that they're not getting enough for their money in terms of downloadable content.
"I never want people feeling that we've duped them in any way, shape or form. That's something that we've been into from the beginning."
The full 16-page talk with Houser, in which he reveals the stories behind GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and yes, GTA IV, is in Edge 187, on sale March 13.
